quote:Human maternal heritage in Andalusia (Spain): its composition reveals high internal complexity and distinctive influences of mtDNA haplogroups U6 and L in the western and eastern side of region
Abstract
Background: The archeology and history of the ancient Mediterranean have shown that this sea has been a permeable obstacle to human migration. Multiple cultural exchanges around the Mediterranean have taken place with presumably population admixtures. A gravitational territory of those migrations has been the Iberian Peninsula. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the maternal gene pool, by means of control region sequencing and PCR-RFLP typing, of autochthonous Andalusians originating from the coastal provinces of Huelva and Granada, located respectively in the west and the east of the region.
Results: The mtDNA haplogroup composition of these two southern Spanish populations has revealed a wide spectrum of haplogroups from different geographical origins. The registered frequencies of Eurasian markers, together with the high incidence and diversification of African maternal lineages (15% of the total mitochondrial variability) among Huelva Andalusians when compared to its eastwards relatives of Granada and other Iberian populations, constitute relevant findings unknown up-to-date on the characteristics of mtDNA within Andalusia that testifies a female population substructure. Therefore, Andalusia must not be considered a single, unique population.
Conclusions: The maternal legacy among Andalusians reflects distinctive local histories, pointing out the role of the westernmost territory of Peninsular Spain as a noticeable recipient of multiple and diverse human migrations. The obtained results underline the necessity of further research on genetic relationships in both sides of the western Mediterranean, using carefully collected samples from autochthonous individuals. Many studies have focused on recent North African gene flow towards Iberia, yet scientific attention should be now directed to thoroughly study the introduction of European genes in northwest Africa across the sea, in order to determine its magnitude, timescale and methods, and to compare them to those terrestrial movements from eastern Africa and southwestern Asia.
[...]
The attractive prehistory and history of Andalusia, the widest and most populated region of Spain, makes its present-day human population a prominent ob- jective to detect scenarios of population substructure and to examine the expected impact of African and other Mediterranean populations on the Iberian gene pool. Con- sistently with the geographical proximity between south- ern Spain and Africa, previous published studies have obtained results that show evidences of African-linked mtDNA lineages among Andalusians as well as high levels of diversity, either analyzing regional general samples [22-24] or focusing on other inland territories within the region [16].
--Candela L Hernández1, Guillermo Reales1, Jean-Michel Dugoujon2, Andrea Novelletto3, Juan Nicolás Rodríguez4, Pedro Cuesta5 and Rosario Calderón1*
posted
Can it be factually argued that the area that is "Iberia" was settled by Africans? A more radical argument would be that Iberia is a "extension" of Africa...
Doug M Member # 7650
posted
quote:Originally posted by BlessedbyHorus: Can it be factually argued that the area that is "Iberia" was settled by Africans? A more radical argument would be that Iberia is a "extension" of Africa...
Of course. But Europeans are still playing word games trying to cover up the undeniable fact that for thousands of years Europe has been the recipient of waves of African migration prior to the rise of white skin.
xyyman Member # 13597
posted
There is no race and back then no continents. Just as there is no "Negro" and no "Caucasians". There wasn't an African and certainly no "European" continent. These are modern classification and labels. It was/is a continnum. Modern Europeans are projecting their prejudices into the past and trying to marginalize and demarc humans based upon modern racial classification.
SSA lineage goes far back in "European" pre-history. And these "Europeans" probably looked very similar to other humans that live in their community.....at that time.
posted